Railway brake head and shoe



Julie 24 1-924.

J. T. POWELL RAILWAY BRAKE HEAD AND SHOE Filed Feb. 21, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 24 1924. 1,499,075

, J. T. POWELL RAILWAY BRAKE HEAD AND SHOE Filed Feb. 21, 1924 2 Sheets-She et 2 252?. 12, @sepfi Z Powell,

Patented June 24, 1924.

JOSEPH THOMAS POWELL, OF GLENNS FERRY, IDAHO.

RAILWAY BRAKE HEAD AND SHOE.

Application filed February 21, 1924. Serial No. 694,329.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH THOMAS Pownnn, a citizen of the United States, re siding at Glenns Ferry, in the county of Elmore and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Brake Heads and Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to a novel construction of brake heads and brake shoes for railway car brakes, whereby the shoes may be readily applied to and removed from their heads, laterally, and without disturbing the brake heads, or other parts associated with the brake beam.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an outer side elevation of a portion of a car wheel, showing a brake head and brake shoe of the novel construction, assembled, and the shoe bearing upon the wheel tread;

Fig. 2, a similar view with the fastening pin of the shoe removed, the head slightly backed off from the shoe, andthe-rabbeted edge and end lugs of the retaining plate withdrawn from their seats or sockets in the head;

Fig. 8 shows the head as in Fig. 2, but with the retaining plate and the shoe entirely removed therefrom;

Fig. 4, an elevation of the inner side face of the brake head;

Fig. 5, a front or bearing-face elevation of the brake head; 7

Fig. 6, an elevation of the outer side face thereof;

Fig. 7, a horizontal section on the line 77 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8, a rear face view of the brake shoe;

Fig. 9, a side elevation of said shoe;

Figs. 10 and 11, side and end elevations of the retaining plate; and

Fig. 12, an elevation of the pin by which the parts are held together when as- I sembled.

The purpose of the invention is to simplify that class of brake shoe heads and shoes in which the shoe is made laterally removable from the head, and special objects sought and attained are, full and adequate support for the shoe at both sides, to prevent accidental displacement thereof; quick and easy removal of the shoe without the aid of special tools; removal of the shoe Wi h ut di urb n e f oth ar and with the brake beam and heads but slightly retracted from the wheels; and a strong and simple construction, permitting use of the shoe either end up.

The invention is here illustrated for use in connection with what is known to railway oflicials and to the trade as the Creco brake beam, but is equally applicable to other brake beams without change in those parts and features which constitute or embody the present invention.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a car wheel, against the tread of which bears a brake shoe 2 carried by a brake head 3, suspended from the usual brake beam support (not shown) by links or hangers 4, of which but one is shown. The brake heads, which are arranged in pairs, are connected by a cross bar or beam 5, of which a short section is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 7 said bar in this instance being of U form in cross section. A seat 6 for one end of said bar is formed in the inner side face of the head, as shown in Figs. 4 and 7, intersected by a hole or opening 7 for one end of the truss-rod 8 employed in the Creco beam, and secured by a nut 10. Each brake head is further provided with an open-sided recess 9 in, its front or shoe-receiving face, to permit introduction and removal of the cross bar of the link or hanger 4, a pair of such links being employed to suspend the beam, one for each brake head.

The shoe-receiving face of head 3 is further formed with a socket 11, advisably of rectangular outline, to receive a lug or stud 12 of like form, projecting from the rear face of the shoe 2. The shoe is preferably symmetrical in form, and bears the lug 12 at its midlength, so that the shoe may be reversed at will or used either end uppermost. The lug 12 is made of dimensions to fit somewhat snugly within its socket, but without requiring force to seat it, the lug and socket being advisably tapered slightly, better to ensure these conditions. Socket 11 has no permanent wall on the outer side face of the brake head 3, but said face is cut away for a short distance above and below the socket, to a depth equal to the thickness of the wall on the opposite side of the socket, or thereabout to form a seat,

said seat extending from the front face of the head 3 to the back wall of the socket,

th affordi bearing f a newa le wall-plate 13 of the form and construction illustrated in Figs. 10 and 1. The rear wall 141 of this seat has a groove or kerf 15 formed in it, as seen in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, to receive the thinned or rabbeted rear edge 16 of the wall-plate 13, and similarly, notches or sockets 17 are formed in the top and bottom walls of the seat made for said plate, to receive ears or lugs 18 formed at the upper and lower front corners of the plate, and of a cross section the same as that of the rabbeted edge of the plate 13.

It will be seen that under the described construction, plate 13 will be securely held in place -by the v seating of its edge 16 in the groove or kerf 15, and the seating of ears or lugs 18 in the sockets 17 but that a slight forward movement of the wallplate 13 will entirely free it and permit it to be drawn facewise from its seat, thus fully opening the outer side of socket 11 and affording a free outlet for lu 12 of shoe 2.

The forward edge of wzill-plate 13 is curved to conform to the curvature of the braking face of shoe 2, and is flush with said face when pressed back and properly seated with the rabbeted edge and end lugs in the recesses made to receive them; hence when the shoe is placed in close bearing contact with its seat on the face of head 3, the shoe will preclude any movement or escape of the wall-plate 13. The permanent inner side wall of socket 11, its detachable outer side wall formed by the plate 13, and the lug 12 of shoe 2, are each provided with a hole 19, the several alined holes constituting a passage for a fastening pin 20, one end of which is headed as seen, in Fig, 12, while the other end is transversely drilled or perforated to receive a cotter-pin 21. This pin 20, passed first through the inner wall of the socket, then through the lug 12, and lastly through the removable wall-plate 13, serves to bind and hold securely together the several parts, and the cotter-pin being spread, prevents accidental escape of pin 20.

W ith the construction thus described it is only necessary in order to remove a shoe, first to withdraw the shoe a short distance from the wheel tread, then pull out the cotter-pin 21, remove the fastening pin 20, draw forward a short distance plate 13, and remove it, when the shoe may be drawn directly off the head 3, its lug 12 passing through the open side of socket 11. The shoe may be replaced by reversing the severalsteps and their order.

Retaining plate 13, may be drop-forged, cast, or machined from steel or other; suitable metal or alloy. This plate 13, particularly if made of a tough and malleablemetal or all y, Will constitute a secure and adeqnate wall for the open side of the socket,

IVhile railway *ar brakes are specifically mentioned in the foregoing description, it will of course be understood that the in- -vention is applicable to all railway vehicles,

and may be applied to wheeled vehicles generally where found desirable so to do.

It is to be notedv that the construction here set forth may be employed in connection with any standard brake system or. apparatus now in use, and with material advantage in that it permits easy and prompt application and removal of brake shoes, with a minimum backing or withdrawal of the brake head, without the use of any but the simplest of tools or implements, and insures the safe retention of the shoe in its proper position in relation to the tread of the wheel and to the brake head. In other words, it in no way interferes with thefree and perfect operation of the other parts of the braking apparatus, whatever standard system be employed.

hat is claimed is:

1. In combination with a railway brake head having in its shoe-receiving face an inwardly-extending socket or recess open. on one side face of the head, a seat formed in said side face of the head below its general surface and extending about the upper, lower and rear walls of the socket, a groove or kerf formed in the rear wall of said seat, and recesses formed in the end walls of said seat and opening to the shoe-receiving face of the head; a plate having a rabbeted longitudinal edge to enter the kerf or groove; and end lugs to enter the sockets in the end walls of said seat, said. plate serving when in position to form a removable side wall for the open side of the socket.

2. In combination with a brake head having a socket extending inward from its shoe-receiving face and open at one side face of the head; a detachable plate cover ing and overlapping the boundaries of the open side of said socket, and seated at its ends and rear side in recesses formed in the brake head; a brake shoe provided on its rear face with a lug formed to fit snugly within the socket of said head, the permanent' and removable walls of said socket and the lug having perforations which aline When the. removable wall-plate is in position; and a fastening pin passing through said openings and serving to bind the brake head, removable wall-plate, and shoe, together.

3. In combination with a brake head having a socket extendin inward from its shoe-receiving face an open at one side face of the shoe; a detachable plate covering and overlapping the boundaries of the open side of said socket, and seated at its ends and rear side in recesses formed in the brake head; a brake shoe provided on its rear face with a lug formed to fit snugly within the socket of said shoe, the permanent and removable walls of said socket and the lug having perforations which aline when the removable wall-plate is in position; a headed fastening pin passing through said openings and serving to bind the brake head, removable wall-plate, and shoe, together; and a cotter-pin passing transversely through said fastening pin at a point outside the removable wall-plate and serving to prevent accidental displacement of the fastening pin.

4. In combination with a brake head having in the shoe-receiving face a socket open on the outer side face of the head, and having raised walls on its top, bottom and rear sides, said Walls being provided with recesses; a removable plate or wall having its ends and rear edge adapted to enter said recesses; a brake shoe having its rear face provided with a lug to fit the socket in the brake head; and a fastening pin passing through the permanent sid wall of the socket, the lug, and the removable plate, and serving to hold said parts securely together and in proper relation.

5. In combination with a brake head having a socket in its brake-receiving face, open on the outer side face of said head; raised walls extending about the top, bottom, and rear of the open side of said socket; shallow recesses in said walls; a lug-retaining plate or removable wall having portions to enter into said recesses by a sliding movement backward over the open side of the slot; a shoe fitting the forward face of the brake head and having a lug on its rear face fitting within the socket; and a pin passing through the socket walls and the lug and binding the parts together. i

6. In combination with a brake head having a socket in its brake-receiving face, open on the outer side face of said head; raised walls extending about the top, bottom, and rear of the open side of said socket; shallow recesses in said walls; a lugretaining plate or removable wall having portions to enter into said recesses by a sliding movement backward over the open side of the slot; a shoe fitting the forward face of the brake head and having a lug on its rear face fitting within the socket; a pin passing through the socket walls and the lug and binding the parts together; and a cotter-pin passing transversely through said fastening pin at a point outside the removable wall-plate and serving to prevent accidental displacement of the fastening pin.

7. A brake head having a lug-receiving socket extending inward from its shoe-receiving face and open at the outer side of the head, a lug-retaining plate covering the open side of said socket and engageable and disengageable with the brake head by a slight movement from the front toward the rear of the brake head; and a brake shoe having a lug seated and held in said socket, the shoe overlying the forward edge of the retaining plate. and precluding its withdrawal until'the sho is separated a short distance from the brake.

In testimony whereof I have signed by name to this specification.

JOSEPH THOMAS POWELL. 

